This functional NES game doubles as an NES console

[Shawn Knight]

Overview: Multi-function NES game cartridges aren't exactly a new concept. In the late 80s, for example, Nintendo released the Action Set bundle in North America which included Super Mario Bros. and Duck Hunt on a single cartridge. Two games on a single cart felt like magic at the time, but what if you could play your entire NES library on a single cart (without ROMs)? That's exactly what one YouTuber recently set out to accomplish.

As James Channel explains, NES carts have a good bit of empty space inside – partly for aesthetics and also for future-proofing. The old copy of NES Open Tournament Golf he had on hand doesn't use the smallest PCB but it's all he had to work with.

Modern NES consoles are much smaller than the original, and that's especially true of knockoffs that use system-on-chip components. The console clone used here came from AliExpress and although it has multiple PCBs, only the main one with the cartridge slot is needed.

To get everything to fit, the YouTuber had to remove several plastic standoffs inside the Golf cart, cut holes for the controller ports, and trim them down into "slim" versions. For A/V, the modder used an old headphone jack and a headphone-to-RCA cable to plug it into his TV.

The next order of business was addressing the 5V regulator. Instead of reusing the original one, James Channel opted for USB which "supplies regulated 5V straight away." He also had to do a lot of work on the cartridge slot to reduce clearance so it wouldn't stick out of the cart. Additionally, provisions had to be made for the power switch and reset button.

With everything wired up, it was time for the moment of truth. And… nothing. What fun would it be if everything worked right the first time?

Upon further inspection, a couple of issues were discovered and ultimately ironed out and in the end, it all worked beautifully. Golf was able to fit into a standard NES, regular NES games were playable on the cart console, and he even rigged up an adapter to play Golf on the cart.

Found is a TechSpot feature where we share clever, funny or otherwise interesting stuff from around the web.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/102376-functional-nes-game-doubles-nes-console.html

 

[J spot]

Good article, but back in that era I had Super Mario Bros./Duck Hunt. My cousin had Super Mario Bros./Duck Hunt/Track and Field. That's 3 games in one cart. It did not feel like magic, nor was any thought given to the fact.

Also, the NES cartridges didn't have a lot of empty space for future proofing (Famicon cartridges didn't have that extra space). It was to make it look more like a VCR and less like a video game console, for an American public who just experienced the video game crash. Here's an NES and Famicon cartridge of the same game: https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vHghfD7_...h3iElPwo/s1600/Famicom+60+to+72+Adapter06.jpg

 

[Furriest]

I'm not too certain on what the point of this article was, its just saying what happened in a video that is already designed to very well give the viewer in-depth information, both visually and through spoken words, on the process it took to do it. You've essentially turned the video [I had watched a couple days earlier] into a over-brevified tertiary alternate.

 

[priority1]

It would be wonderful if an arcade controller could be used for playing. Because of my disability I don't have the ability to press those small buttons. Was an arcade controller ever made for the Nintendo?

 

[Rrahrens]

There is one called the nes advantage.

 

[dprimous]

Good article, but back in that era I had Super Mario Bros./Duck Hunt. My cousin had Super Mario Bros./Duck Hunt/Track and Field. That's 3 games in one cart. It did not feel like magic, nor was any thought given to the fact.

Also, the NES cartridges didn't have a lot of empty space for future proofing (Famicon cartridges didn't have that extra space). It was to make it look more like a VCR and less like a video game console, for an American public who just experienced the video game crash. Here's an NES and Famicon cartridge of the same game: https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vHghfD7_...h3iElPwo/s1600/Famicom+60+to+72+Adapter06.jpg

also had Super Mario Bros./Duck Hunt

 

[priority1]

There is one called the nes advantage.

Thanks. I'll go check it out.

 

[J spot]

I'm not too certain on what the point of this article was, its just saying what happened in a video that is already designed to very well give the viewer in-depth information, both visually and through spoken words, on the process it took to do it. You've essentially turned the video [I had watched a couple days earlier] into a over-brevified tertiary alternate.

Most here probably wouldn't have seen it.

 

[amghwk]

This is not actually something new. For the Nintendo DS and 3DS, there are something called R4 cartridges. There are many versions and capabilities. It has a microSD slot where you can copy all the roms and insert it into the cartridge and put that cartridge into the handheld to have the complete game library.